Follow UsAustralia skipper Alyssa Healy's injury woes have continued. She still hasn’t recovered from her foot injury, which has troubled her since the T20 World Cup.
That’s why she has been named as a specialist batter in Australia women’s 13-member squad for the pink ball Test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the ongoing multi-format Women’s Ashes 2024/25. Healy was notably ruled out of the first T20I at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), and Beth Mooney kept the wickets in her absence.
If Mooney takes the glove in the Test match as well, which looks highly probable, Georgia Voll, who came on the Australian side as Healy’s replacement, can make her Test debut and open the batting. Tahlia McGrath would captain the side in her absence.
“Alyssa has been named in the squad as a batter only, and we'll give her as much time as we can to prove her fitness ahead of the match," Cricket Australia's Head of Performance [Women's Cricket] and National Selector, Shawn Flegler said on the squad selection for the pink ball Test.
Meanwhile, Ashleigh Gardner, who suffered a calf strain, is expected to feature in the third T20I.
"Ash [Gardner] will continue to be assessed daily, and her availability for the third T20 remains uncertain. At this stage she is on track to be available for the Test match,” Flegner said.
"It's a reasonably experienced squad that have played Tests against India and South Africa in the last couple of years and one we think can beat England over the course of four days. There's no bigger occasion than a pink-ball Test at the MCG and there's no doubt the team will be looking to claim the four points up for grabs.”
Australia have won all five games played in the Women’s Ashes and have already retained the trophy which is in their possession since 2015.